Bar Exam information

General Information

Become familiar with the dates, policies, and application procedure of the bar exam in the jurisdiction where you wish to practice. Jurisdictions differ on what they require and when.

Click here for a good source of general information regarding the Bar Exam/Application process. This link includes links to State Bar Examination and Admissions Boards.

Click here for an online version of the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements . This book, published by the American Bar Association, provides general information on each Bar. Much of the book is in table form — an easy comparison of rules, regulations, fees and general information.

Louisiana Bar Admission Requirements

The requisites for admission to the practice of law in Louisiana as prescribed by the Supreme Court may be found in Rule XVII of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Louisiana. Under the provisions of the present rule, graduates of the Law Center are required to score 80 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) and pass the Louisiana State Bar Examination to gain admission to practice in Louisiana. Students must successfully complete  Legal Profession prior to sitting for the MPRE. More information about the MPRE may be found at www.ncbex.org.

The rules for admission to the Louisiana State Bar require that law students who are prospective applicants must participate in the Law Student Registration Program administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). The student must submit an application and fee to the NCBE no later than October 1 of the second year of law school. Students should keep a copy of this completed form for future reference. Once an application is received, the NCBE will conduct a character-and-fitness investigation and submit a preliminary report to the Louisiana Committee on Bar Admissions. The NCBE forms from the Louisiana Supreme Court Committee on Bar Admissions are available online at www.lascba.org.  Different states may require character-and-fitness investigations prior to admission to the State Bar. Please contact the appropriate State Bar for information.

Applicants for the bar examination who have participated in the Law Student Registration Program must submit a supplemental report to the Committee on Bar Admissions on a form provided by the NCBE on or before February 1 for the July bar exam, or on or before November 1 for the February bar exam. Once completed, forms are returned to: Louisiana Supreme Court Committee on Bar Admissions, 2800 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 310, Metairie, LA. 70002, with a fee made payable to National Conference of Bar Examiners.

New York Bar Admission Requirements

In order to be certified for admission by examination, you must: (1) achieve a passing score on the UBE; (2) complete an online course in New York-specific law, known as the New York Law Course (NYLC); (3) take and pass an online examination, known as the New York Law Exam (NYLE); (4) take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE); (5) comply with the 50-hour pro bono service requirement; (6) satisfy the Skills Competency Requirement (if you commence your law studies after August 1, 2016); and (7) satisfy the character and fitness requirements in accordance with Court of Appeals Rule 520.12 and the rules of the various Appellate Division departments.

The New York Lawyers Assistance Trust has prepared a brochure regarding the character and fitness requirements for admission to the practice of law in New York State. All law students and graduates are encouraged to review it carefully and to contact the Law School’s Dean of Students if they need to discuss issues related to their admission to practice law.

In order to apply for the UBE, you must have an NCBE identification number and a BOLE account. To receive an NCBE identification number, please visit https://accounts.ncbex.org/php/ncbe_number/ and complete the application. Visit the New York State Board of Law Examiner’s homepage and click on “BOLE Account” to create an account. For detailed information on how to apply for the New York State Bar Exam, the documentation which must be provided to establish eligibility to sit for the exam, fee and filing information, examination rules, and admission requirements, please visit the New York State Board of Law Examiner’s webpage and read the New York State Bar Exam Information Guide.

 Certification of Summer Employment

Those who are planning to apply (or are considering whether to apply) for admission to the New York bar, should complete the on-line skills competency certification form through which your summer employer may certify your summer employment. The form is accessible via the following link: https://intranet.law.tulane.edu/Tulane-Law-Summer-Certification

Additional information for LLM students taking the NY Bar:

Information regarding eligibility to sit for the NY bar exam can be found here: http://www.nybarexam.org/foreign/foreignlegaleducation.htm

1) Complete the Online Request for Foreign Evaluation of Academic Credentials: https://www.nybarevaluation.org/Intro.aspx

BOLE recommends that candidates complete the Foreign Evaluation of Academic Credentials at least six months in advance of the application to sit for the bar. You must submit your Foreign Evaluation Form and supporting foreign documentation no later than October 1st for the July bar exam.

BOLE advises against applying for the bar exam prior to receiving a decision on the foreign evaluation because the application fee is not refundable.

2) Complete the LLM Certificate of Attendance here: http://www.nybarexam.org/forms/forms.htm

 

Texas Bar Admission Information

The application for Admission to the Bar of Texas is available on the Texas Board of Law Examiners website.

Board of Law Examiners
P.O. Box 13486
Austin, TX 78711-3486
(512) 463-1621

The timely deadline for the February Texas Bar Examination is August 30 before the exam. The absolute deadline (accompanied by a late fee) for the February bar exam is October 30 of the year preceding the exam.

The timely deadline for the July Texas Bar Examination is January 30 before the exam. The absolute deadline (accompanied by a late fee) for the July bar is March 30 before the exam.

1. Beginning December 1, Texas will begin accepting concurrent applications for admission (applications for admission to the Texas bar using your UBE score from another state). Even if the state you plan on taking the UBE in has a later application date, you should file the Texas concurrent application before February 1.

The fee will be $300 (which is the same as if you were applying to take the Texas Bar Exam).
Check the filing deadlines for states in which you may be interested in taking the UBE.

2. If you take the UBE, your licensure date will be dependent upon when the testing state releases results. Some states release results earlier than Texas; you may be licensed earlier than if you had taken the Texas bar exam. Some states have similar timing; you would then be licensed at the same time as students taking the Texas Bar Exam. For example, NM releases results in early September; Texas usually releases at the end of October. If you take NM and filed your concurrent application in January, so your character & fitness review is complete, you would be eligible for licensure in September rather than October. NY doesn’t release scores until the end of October, so you would likely be licensed in November with Texas exam takers.

By filing the concurrent application, when your results are available, the Texas Board of Law Examiners will receive your UBE score from a national clearinghouse.

3. In order to be licensed as quickly as possible, make sure that you have filed a Declaration of Intention to study law. The BLE has nine months to investigate your character and fitness, no matter when or where you take a bar exam. You need to file a Declaration of Intention AND either a concurrent application or an application to take the Texas Bar Exam.

4. All UBE-takers have to complete an 11 hour Texas Law Course; it is recorded lectures with embedded questions. The course will be free, on-demand, and online. It is currently being constructed. The TX Supreme Court has set a deadline of June 1 for the course to be ready; the bar examiners are on track to have it available earlier than that. You may complete the course before or after you take the UBE.

5. New Mexico is offering Courtesy Seating – you do not have to go through their entire character and fitness certification or take the NM course. You take the exam in NM, but are not licensed to practice law there. More info here.

The TX bar examiners plan to publish, on their website, a statement of how the transfer score process will work. Hopefully, this will help employers understand that your licensure will not be delayed by taking the UBE. We will let you know when that statement is available.

If you plan on taking the Texas Bar Exam, the Application to take the exam opens on December 2 and is due on February 1. If you have not filed a Declaration, you must do it either before or concurrently with your Application.

All applicants to the Texas bar must take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam and make at least a weighted 85 average to meet state requirements. Students are advised to take the exam at the next opportunity after completing the Professional Responsibility course. The MPRE Information Booklet and registration information can be found at http://www.ncbex.org/about-ncbe-exams/mpre/test-dates-deadlines-and-fees/.

California Bar Admission Information

To be admitted to practice law in California, an applicant must:

1. Complete the requisite general and legal education;
2. Register with the Committee of Bar Examiners as a law student or attorney applicant;
3. Pass or establish exemption from the First Year Law Student’s Examination (students attending an ABA accredited law school are exempt from the First Year Law Student’s Examination);
4. File an application to take the California Bar Exam and after eligibility has been confirmed, take and pass the examination;
5. File an application for a moral character determination and receive a positive moral character determination from the Committee of Bar Examiners;
6. Take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, which is administered and graded by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (www.ncbex.org), and achieve a minimum scaled score as determined by the Committee of Bar Examiners;
7. Be in compliance with California court ordered child and family support obligations; and
8. Meet all admission requirements and take the attorney’s oath of office no later than five years from the last day of administration of the California Bar Exam that the applicant passes.

The full text of all requirements for admission is set forth in Title 4, Division 1, Chapter 4 of the Rules of the State Bar of California. For more information on admission requirements, refer to the State Bar of California’s Admission Requirements webpage.

Separate and distinct applications are required for registration, a moral character determination, and the bar exam.  All applications can be accessed online through the Admissions’ portion of the State Bar of California’s website https://www.calbarxap.com.